Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for new technology designed to negate AM radio interference that may be used in future Ford EVs, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on September 26th, 2023, published on March 27th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0105936.
The Ford Authority Take
As Ford Authority reported back in August 2022, the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning lost its AM radio functionality, which was previously standard on the EV pickup, based on the idea that it interferes with the drivetrains of all-electric vehicles. This quickly became a hot topic given the fact that AM is oftentimes used to broadcast emergency messages, and its omission drew the ire of several politicians. Ultimately, Ford continued to offer AM radio in its 2024 model year vehicles as a result – and restored it in 2023 model year EVs – but now, this newly published patent presents us with a way to potentially negate AM radio interference that may be used in future Ford EVs.
This system aims to prevent AM radio interference by using a vehicle communication system configured to transmit a radio content request from a radio station directly, which is a bit different than current methods. At the moment, vehicle infotainment systems generally obtain content from AM and FM stations via tuners for each designated signal. Presumably, eliminating that feature could also help prevent any sort of interference with an EV’s powertrain, according to Ford, making it potentially useful in future models of that type.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
Comments
I can’t honestly say I understand what Ford is trying to do here, but I would like to make it clear that the important part of the AM radio is ensuring that you can capture the broadcast over the air without any intermediary. When disaster strikes, as I experienced during an earthquake, you can’t rely on cell phone towers or any other infrastructure to function. Being able to pull a broadcast over the air is the important part.
So, when you’re out of range of the “VES server”, just pull over and stop.